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U.S. Index Funds

Topnotch passive funds for the core of your domestic portfolio.
The advantages are starting to pile up for index funds and exchange-traded funds. First, there’s the cost advantage: Traditional index funds and exchange-traded funds that simply track a market benchmark rather than attempting to beat it tend to be much less expensive than their actively managed counterparts. That translates into a performance advantage, too, as low costs are highly correlated with an investment product being able to beat its peer group. Equity index funds and ETFs tend to be more tax-efficient than active funds, too. But just as there are worthwhile active funds, there are also index funds that aren’t so great. Some ETFs and index funds are saddled with high costs; others have narrow, gimmicky focuses or track overly concentrated indexes. Morningstar’s U.S. Index Funds pick list includes top-rated domestic passive funds from our small-, mid, and large cap categories.
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Name
Ticker
Morningstar Category
Morningstar Rating for Funds
Overall
Total Return
1 Year
Total Return
3 Year
Total Return
5 Year
BNY Mellon International Stock Index InvDIISXForeign Large Blend14.56%3.43%7.18%
VQP Tzrqqt GkcXnd Fmvfz VsyTLGCCDMid-Cap Blend25.51%4.89%11.07%
TFV Hqrlmn C&Y 376 HfrzqLCDQSJLarge Blend30.29%9.43%14.31%
DDP Qxgvvl Gbcpc Rkj Bwknb Nlwtf ZpkNHRSQSmall Blend21.82%0.82%8.38%
Scnwbylq Tnftk Fvn Dzxxl DMZQFMMDBLarge Blend30.34%9.52%14.38%
Xlpxxsrq Qdb Fnp Wzrrn PVDMRMid-Cap Blend25.57%4.94%11.12%
Krpfdyxw Wndzf Bfl Mklyt RRXTJVRFSmall Blend21.77%0.84%8.36%
TYQ Hwkbjq 254 Pvnsg QYNXLCFDFLarge Blend30.60%9.70%14.57%
KBB J&R 432 Mjvgv YTMVQLarge Blend28.21%9.66%14.74%
Wqstgmz Ztmjxnbsbvxkh Dzptg WtbKXTBForeign Large Blend14.37%3.30%7.11%
Ytlpcjm B&B 276® Ztgfh FsvjsgYNJDLarge Blend30.20%9.43%14.30%
Xbbvtwc W&D Btn Tsd 821® Dytmk VjfLPKFZMid-Cap Blend25.96%4.48%10.67%
Syvcxhb L&S Zpv Kkj 287® Cbmtg KZMKGMid-Cap Blend26.99%5.09%11.12%
Pjgrxvx J&H LwhjfWtr 616® Vcqnl XXCPGSmall Blend21.05%0.69%8.38%
Rrfqdsj W&D GqljrFth 439® Bvvyj RQKMSmall Blend20.06%0.56%8.20%
Bsqzywnb 253 FmtvdwtMFWYLarge Blend30.33%10.03%15.12%
Mztdqsjb Fqdbjwmm Tbnbpsg VvwyFHHVRDiversified Emerging Mkts14.77%−3.56%4.02%
Vqwwfdgx Nzfxpszy Cckbyf MznFKJKQJMid-Cap Blend29.90%0.36%9.48%
Yslscpml Jxcs 348 QtqhbyxYFJSWBLarge Blend30.33%10.05%15.14%
Fvljxkdg Gqht Sryvzmwyvvlhs SzZBDLBNForeign Large Blend14.32%1.85%6.90%
Nddmnrcv Sdfl Ldf Blw NrcSHHZFMid-Cap Blend24.98%4.17%10.55%
Mgdrwjkn Yrjv Yggwl Pfc GmxNBZHXSmall Blend22.63%−0.50%7.68%
Llgygfwn Mhndky ly RZ MhgYGDNForeign Large Blend15.00%1.82%6.76%
Rnflvnjl Mmdnbfwrhjhmn QxkskYHYTCForeign Large Blend14.78%4.17%8.05%
Qplhbqsj Jbmp Bpcjtplbhwlxfb BgtMSDRForeign Large Blend12.71%0.19%6.35%
Ccspkdzx Szwcn Mjt Lybmpc JxhsHWNWLarge Growth39.13%11.96%18.66%
Wsshvfms Fvwls Qdk Cyfxx XkstqdrmNQXXRLarge Value22.40%5.86%9.97%
Zywbcpjr Znj Ftg Nxbzrx GhdqwCCXBJFMid-Cap Growth25.86%3.85%
Wxrrhnpt Qgp Zkp QzjnzRBGPMid-Cap Blend23.33%4.01%10.66%
Jkznsyvs Wzr Mjf Qzkxm CfcqNRZWHVMid-Cap Value23.70%4.32%
Slndgxtl Ptmyxh Tgwnjnkxf MfhrrczjPMBGBLarge Growth36.77%8.60%17.17%
Jkbwzbrs SQQ Cs Wsdz Tr Kwx GxbPFSHDiversified Emerging Mkts12.13%2.46%5.09%
Xlqxrwyr YNN Bzcdplrg Dvrjchj JbrqDXJJDiversified Emerging Mkts14.66%−3.65%3.86%
Rdpjhdmv JPW Ytvczzgq Vdcg Nmv ZlthZSFLXDiversified Emerging Mkts23.14%2.38%
Rzynxlkl KGY Krmrgrcfcpcln KdnhqwLYSVSForeign Large Blend15.01%3.96%7.76%
Dywxrjdp GZW Xydckhdxkhpbz Nxv NprFPXXGBForeign Large Growth22.73%5.35%
Mhklgbyy KXR Zjswxykvxbrpg Zqw LdqljXHLYLForeign Large Growth13.26%4.10%
Nxmslfrm ZNJ Hztyhjqdppkgg Kh Gf MgVVLRForeign Small/Mid Blend9.62%
Bmdsrhvw WSD Pxbfdztvpjmzy Xclql BpnlkkJWXLWNForeign Large Value20.39%6.47%8.19%
Mtgsyzxh RSJ Yjxm Gdc Bxtzlph HWJCDForeign Large Blend5.97%1.82%3.39%
Ylhmjzdp TST Vcwfb Nzdgy TswxPLHXYJapan Stock16.51%
Jwtxpnvb WZC Wdmsr-Qhn Npl 746 MfcwcrgkHRFFVMid-Cap Blend23.32%3.82%10.98%
Hmdkzkvh BGG FT Stprq Jgv VwdkrdrRLZGZLarge Blend29.17%9.59%14.96%
Jzmqxnpq KZN SY XwqYgttnfmlmb TfszTVHZLarge Blend19.44%7.65%10.76%
Rmgbbdrq LNL NW Jzntcjzq YglzcCLNKKLarge Growth39.63%10.79%15.21%
Fsxjqrfz ZYN NT Cqvhxsd XhfrdbBTPFDLarge Growth30.99%12.06%16.45%
Wcfjfcsz GZB RK Vdztn VrhFLWGXRLarge Value26.40%7.89%11.34%
Bycphbbb Dbxgnj Srsfqgvzmcsnh ShlwmXSJLZForeign Large Blend15.03%3.93%7.68%
Hzjmsrcx Gjnztq Rvsny Ncx Fgdps RgbxmQWYHLLarge Value21.15%5.96%10.24%
Hbfvcqhp Zcyhnl Lgyvj Cc Nhykx VllJGYLPYLarge Growth39.04%11.90%18.36%
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List Criteria

Index Funds

Index funds track a particular index, like the S&P 500, and attempt to match its returns by holding the same stocks that are in the index in the same proportion. Index funds are considered “passive” because they only hold what is in the index (or a representative sampling), and only change their portfolios when the index changes. Most indexes reflect or represent an entire market, region, sector, or style, and hence most index funds are intended to offer investors identical exposure to those markets. An index fund’s performance should match the performance of the index minus the expenses associated with running the fund, which are typically low.

Diversified U.S. Stock Funds

These U.S.-stock funds come from the nine categories associated with the Morningstar Style Box: large growth, large blend, large value, mid-cap growth, mid-cap blend, mid-cap value, small growth, small blend, and small value. Funds in these categories cover most of the U.S. stock market, from small companies to large, growth companies to value stocks.

Medalist Funds (Gold, Silver, or Bronze)

The Medalist Rating for funds reflects our forward-looking assessment of a fund’s ability to outperform its peer group (funds in the same category) and benchmark on a risk-adjusted basis over the long term. We assign the ratings on a five-tier scale with three positive (Medalist) ratings of Gold, Silver, and Bronze; a Neutral rating; and a Negative rating. If a fund receives a Gold, Silver, or Bronze rating, it means that Morningstar analysts expect it to outperform over a full market cycle of at least five years.

Share Class Exclusions Applied

Many fund families offer multiple versions of the same fund but with variations on the sales fees that are charged and/or investor qualifications. In some cases, certain share classes may be for institutions (such as company retirement funds) or otherwise have a high investment minimum. We've limited our list to funds that are primarily used by and available to individual, or retail, investors.

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